Under Brilliant Skies
by WichitaRed
Summary: This is set during their amnesty days. What is they say about working a trail drive? This might be one of the reasons they shake their head at it.


Under Brilliant Skies

by Wichita Red

Kid slid from his saddle, he was dusted so thick there was no color to him other than brown. Pulling the tack from his horse, who looked just as tired as him, he led the sorrel to the Red River for a drink. Staring blankly at the running water, he pulled off his gloves, 'I oughta wash up.' Taking off his hat, he ran a hand through his sweat, matted curls and put his hat back on. 'I'm too tired,' and with this thought he set to using his gloves to beat a measure of the dirt from him, until he stirred up a good enough sized cloud that his horse turned to look at him.

Rubbing the gelding's wide blaze, Kid said, "Mack, bet you're ready for a bait of grain."

Walking to the hitch line, Kid's pale, blue eyes roved across the herd, all along the line cattle were folding their legs and bedding down. Patting Mack's shoulder, the horse exhaled out a hard, long sigh, "I agree, no matter what they pay us it ain't worth this hellish life," Kid said, tying his gelding to the line. Dumping a pile of feed into a pan, he checked the horses feet and rubbed him down as Mack chewed with his eyes half closed. "All right, pal, I'll see you in the morning."

The glow of the campfire lead Kid to the wagons and off to the side, he found his partner, shoving around whatever was inside his bent up metal plate. "What's Arbuckle serving tonight?"

"I ain't been able to identify it. But, thinkin' by the gravel I been spitting out, it must be that one who broke her leg in a hole and was trampled by the rest."

"Hmmm, great." Kid shook his head, "never thought I would get tired of eating beef, more though, I'm damn tired of looking at their backsides."

Heyes lifted an eyebrow and nodded, "you want rest of this, Thaddeus, I think, I've had my fill."

Kid frowned, "yeah...let me get my own share first."

"Thaddeus..."

Kid looked back to see Heyes holding up his coffee cup, "I'd say your legs ain't broke, but as many cattle as we've lost that way on this trip, it might be a curse on you."

"Feeling proddy?"

"Feeling damn tired of the long hours, the short sleep, and the lousy food; that's what I'm feeling."

"Another week and we'll hit Tulsa." Heyes said, rolling his shoulders and offering up the empty cup once more. "Then we can collect our pay and move on."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that big roll of fifty dollars," Kid snarled, snagging hold of the empty cup.

But, Heyes held tight long enough to slow his partner down, "you're the one who saved Miss Birdie's handbill and brought it to me, don't be forgetting that."

Kid half sighed, half snorted, "I know, I ain't blaming you, Joshua. Just didn't think it would mean working all blamed day and night to barely fill our pockets."

"I know, Kid, and I'm sorry, I am."

"Ain't your fault," Kid answered, taking his leave to refill Heyes' cup, get one of his own, and a plate of whatever Arbuckle had decided was worth simmering in a pot.

On returning, he found Heyes in a new spot, further from the wagon.

"Spread your bedroll out." Heyes said taking the offered coffee and nodding toward a stand of cedars, "should shelter you from the wind."

Taking a seat by his partner, Kid offered a lopsided grin, "Thanks...you on night guard, again?"

"Yeah, don't bother me none; kind of like being out under the stars." They sat in comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts for a time. Swirling his cup, Heyes took a final drink and threw the grounds out. "Kid, I know you wanted to take that other job...just had a bad feeling about it was all."

Kid nodded, shoveling down the last of his gritty stew.

Standing, Heyes pulled on his gloves, "you can choose the next job."

As Heyes strolled off to the picket lines, Kid hollered, "Joshua, I'm holding you to that."

Raising a hand in acknowledgment, Heyes kept walking, till he disappeared into the dark.

Finishing his own coffee, Kid pulled off his boots, tossed his hat aside, and curled up in his bedroll, asleep before he even heard Heyes ride out.

"Jones!"

Kid sat up, looking blearily around, his blanket falling in his lap.

"Roll out, we need extras on guard tonight."

Growling, Kid slammed on his hat and shook out his boots.

"Move it, Jones."

"Don't you see I am! Willie, go hassle someone else." Kid gruffed, hefting his saddle and heading for his horse. As he squeezed in alongside Mack, the line horses shifted blowing and stomping their feet, "Sorry boys, work calls."

Back up in the saddle, he scanned the quiet herd and shook his head. Riding along the side, he kept an eye out but did not see his partner anywhere. Looking up at the blazing, bright prairie moon, he took a breath, with the dust finally settled the scent of sage and cedar filled the night. From the far side, he could hear singing. Taking up position on the right flank he found a place for Mack to stand, 'can't make out the words, but I think it's Heyes.' His eyes drooped and shifting deeper into his saddle seat, he slipped into a half-doze.

When off in the distance, he saw a flash. Sitting straighter, Kid scanned the sky, 'was that lightening?" Moving Mack into a walk, he saw the herd was still nothing but a field of humped backs.

Then thunder rumbled across the plain, Kid smelled rain and so did the longhorns. They shifted, their heads rising up.

Suddenly the wind whooshed in with tumbleweeds spinning across the hard ground and a brilliant, explosion of streaks ripped across the sky followed by a deafening thunder clap. The cattle leapt to their feet, huffing and shifting against each other.

Kid's nostrils flared, he swallowed hard, thunder and lightning was all around him; the sweet smell of sage replaced by sulfur, rank and strong, burning his nose and making his skin crawl. Standing in his stirrups, he trotted Mack to the front of the herd, 'where the hell is Heyes?'

Then all at once the longhorns bellowed, breaking into a jogging trot. Slamming his heels to Mack, Kid pushed at the leaders, trying to turn them while crying out, "STAMPEDE!" 

Dust swirled up so thick, it fogged the area, confusing kid; but all about him were scared cattle and he knew he needed to turn them. Hollering and flapping his lariat, he kept twisting Mack away from the deadly horns. When with a crash the sky opened up, turning all to mud.

The cattle surged forward, goring each other in their fear. Whipping his coiled lariat across Mack's rump, trying to get his horse clear of the moving herd. Kid could feel his heart pounding, his blood felt on fire and then in the blink of an eye, Mack was hit hard and the horse stumbled. Before the big sorrel could gather himself, he slid in the mud.

Jerking at the gelding and knowing he was going down, Kid gulped out "Ah, hell!" throwing himself free of his horse as the animal plunged sideways.

Rolling over, Kid scrambled to his knees, the lightning flashed and he could see the longhorns. It looked like thousands of them, 'Lord, I'm fixin' to die in this here stampede."

When just as they piled over him, Kid sat bolt upright, huffing for air and patting his chest. "I'm in my bedroll," looking left and right, he could see the cedars and the chuck wagon silhouetted against the banked campfire. "I was only dreaming."

Laying back, he released a shuddering breath and lightening ripped across the sky. The rumble of thunder following close on its heels and throwing off his blanket, Kid leapt to his feet.

All across the prairie the humps were becoming cattle, they were bawling and moving. The ground was beginning to tremble and from somewhere in the darkness Kid heard Heyes cry out, "STAMPEDE!"

I have to thank the great artist Chris LeDoux for this quick story, I was driving home singing to his music and went...'ah hell that would make a good story'. Thanks Mister LeDoux. 


End file.
